Monthly Archives: September 2018

Hajj is a pagan ritual which existed even before the advent of Islam in Arabia. The circumambulation of the Kaaba was done by the tribes of Arabia long before the birth of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, whose belief system comprised a plethora of superstitions and worships of multiple gods.

Why Continue a Pagan Ritual?
When Islam was introduced to the people of Makkah, many pagan practices were outlawed, the Kaba was emptied of idols and certain cultural practices such as gambling and drinking alcohol were gradually discouraged and finally forbidden for the followers of the new religion. But the ritual of Hajj was not only retained but was made simple and compulsory for every Muslim once in his/her lifetime, subject to Halal financial means. Even in the pre-Islamic days the pagans of Makkah considered it unlawful to perform Hajj using money from stolen goods or looted property from passing caravans.

The First House of Allah
It is therefore reasonable to enquire what is so special about Hajj that it was continued in Islam and became one of the five pillars of the Muslim faith. Even in this day and age when so many things have changed, and every aspect of faith has been given a certificate of scientific backing, what is so peculiar about this worship which keeps millions of Hajis travelling to Makkah from all parts of the world and yet desiring to come back again. Here is my attempt in answering this question. Islamic belief includes the notion that the Kaaba was the first House of Allah built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham from its foundations after its original edifice succumbed to the wear of rough weather and time.

Focus of Worship
The five pillars of Islam comprise Shahadah (declaration of faith); Salat (prayer); Zakat (payment of charity on personal wealth); Saum (fasting during the month of Ramadan); and, Hajj which is visiting Makkah and performing certain prescribed rituals in Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifa and Makkah on the specified dates of the Islamic month of Dul Hajjah every year.

Every Worship is Different
Four of these five pillars are single-focused, which means that each of these is associated with one specific aspect of worship. Shahadah is an oral declaration of faith affirmed by heart. Salat is concerned with the glorification and remembrance of Allah requiring concentration and peace of mind. Zakat is about purifying one’s wealth and fortune. Saum is a physical and mind worship about piety and denying oneself from food and water for a specific period of time.

A Complete Worship
Hajj on the other hand is a worship which involves all the individual aspects of the other four pillars in one form or another. It is about making a declaration in the form of glorification of Allah through the loud recitation of Talbiyah whose wordings are: Labbayk Allahumma labbayk (here I am, O Allah, here I am). Labbayka la shareeka laka labbayk (here I am, O Allah there is no partner with you, here I am). Innal hamda wal nemata laka wal mulk (truly, the glorification and bounty belong to you and all the land and its sovereignty is yours), la shareeka laka (there is no partner with you).

Hajj Signifies Return to Allah
Before departing for Hajj all debts must be paid, all severed relationships must be restored and a will must be drawn in the event a Haji passes away during the pilgrimage. This reinforces the relationship between Hajj and the hereafter in which a Haji prepares himself to return to Allah.

Requirements for Hajj
The requirements for performing Hajj are intention, as in any other worship; the financial means to undertake the journey to Makkah; physical strength and agility; and, looking ahead to one’s final destination after death. Hajj requires spending Halal money to travel to Makkah. Hajj involves a great deal of physical activity during the specific days of the pilgrimage. Hajj also requires full attention and concentration. Hajj has multiple attributes and is focused on the life of the hereafter both symbolically and in terms of the meaning of its various rituals.

A Different Perspective
Those lucky ones who have already had the opportunity to perform Hajj and have enjoyed this unique experience and those who intend to do so at least once in their lifetime in the coming years Insha’Allah will appreciate the association of Hajj with the various aspects of afterlife. Every act of Hajj carries a deeper symbolic meaning, as explored below.

Reminder of the Day of Judgement
Hajj is an orientation to the Day of Judgement. Everything that is done in Hajj has a significance and a deeper meaning for the afterlife.

Everyone’s Hajj is Different
People usually go to Makkah in groups. The group organisers charge their clients a fixed amount of money per person for their travel, boarding and lodging during Hajj. Each member of the group receives the same hospitality and same facilities. Yet the Hajj experience of each Haji is different. This will be the same on the Day of Judgement. There will be tribes and communities who would have come from same traditions and similar lifestyles and yet the destiny of each individual will be different on Judgement Day. This will include family members who enjoyed the same comforts and shared the same tragedies, ate the same food and spent time together in the same company. Yet the outcome for each person will be different.

Jannah has Different Levels
Those who will go to Jannah will receive different gradings and allocation for their eternal abode. Some will be allotted secure mansions. Others will have penthouses and high rise apartments as their residences.

Jahannam has Different Levels
Those who will be sent to Jahannam (hellfire) will also receive different levels of punishment.

Hajj is by Invitation and Approval of Allah
Not everyone who goes to Hajj makes it to all stages of Hajj. Some people fall sick and are unable to stay in Mina, or travel to Arafat or perform jamarat. It is a reminder that although the journey of all mankind is toward the hereafter through the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, not everyone in the next life will be rewarded with Jannah. Even if someone thinks that he/she is following the right path, it may not be so if his faith is convoluted like the owner of the two gardens or like those who think that they are bringing justice in land but in fact they are the ones who undermine peace.

Access to Kaaba is Protected
Those of us who have frequently been to Makkah Alhamdulillah must have observed that it is not always easy to reach the inside of the Haram to view the Kaba. In fact, with increasing numbers of Hajis performing Hajj and Umrah now, it is becoming more difficult to reach Kaba easily than it was in the past years. The Haram security places barriers randomly in the Grand Mosque and blocks walkways at different times for crowd control. Pilgrims are asked to follow alternate passages to find a place to sit down or offer prayers.

In such situations any Haji who manages to reach inside the Haram without being stopped by security staff ends up directly in front of the Kaaba. Such a person is indeed lucky to have been given the honour to come that close to Allah’s House. It is like someone knowing all the passwords to a protected website where he/she can roam without any restrictions.

Gates of Jannah and Jahannam
Just as there are over 100 doors of the grand mosque in Makkah, there are reportedly 8 gates of Jannah and 7 gates of Jahannam. The people who will be assigned the various grades of heaven or hell will be processed through these gates to reach their destination.

Compare this now to an imaginary scene in the hereafter when mankind will march after resurrection to its final abode and encounter angels on duty at various barriers and checkpoints. Only those lucky ones who have been awarded Jannah will find no barrier or closures on their smooth walk to Jannah.

All mankind will walk through Siratul Jannah. Those who are not rewarded Jannah will be turned away to other routes by the Heavenly guards in order to reach their places in Jahannam

The Cost of Jannah
Hajj is an expensive worship. Similarly, Jannah is also not cheap. Commitment of Allah and his apostles requires steadfastness and patience. There are many trials and tribulations in this mortal life before Jannah can be earned.

Answer to an Awkward Question
People often wonder why certain things which have been promised in the afterlife such as luxurious living, company of women, drinking alcohol and other things of pleasure are forbidden for Muslims in this world. Hajj has an answer to this question. In the state of Ihram which is a pre-requisite of Hajj, many things which are allowed in normal daily life are forbidden such as clipping nails, shaving or cutting hair, killing an animal for food or sleeping with one’s partner. This is not because there is something intrinsically wrong with these things but it is a part of the protocol of Hajj.

As in the fasting month of Ramadan, during Hajj Muslims learn that what is forbidden in this world, whether temporarily or in the entire lifetime is a part of a Musalman’s discipline to prove that he/she is a true slave of Allah and is willing to submit his/her desires to the commandments of Allah.

Meaning of Ihram
Ihram itself is a symbol of leaving everything in the world to meet the Lord. Irrespective of the social status of a person, everyone is clad in an unstitched two-piece cloth very similar to the white shroud in the grave. Hajis usually carry a small bag on the shoulders tied to their neck where they keep their identity documents and few essential items. On the Day of Judgement each individual will also carry a scroll attached to his/her neck which will contain an account of their deeds. This parallel between Hajj and the Day of Judgement is most striking.

Similarity between Kaaba and Arsh
The Kaba attracts Muslims from all parts of the world. It is a kind of magnet which does not please a worshipper to depart even after he/she has seen and touched it personally. Every Haji who makes the final rounds of the Kaba before departure from Makkah has only one wish, which is to come back to this blessed venue again. This is how the Throne of Allah will be in Jannah. The residents of Paradise would find nothing more satisfying in their life of luxury and opulence than being closer to the Throne of Allah.

Reason for Prayers
It is said that the obligatory prayers are only for the worldly life and there will be no such requirement in Jannah because its inhabitants will get a chance to see their Lord directly. Prayers facilitate remembrance of Allah and provide the essential link between man and his Creator. A glimpse of this is observed on the plain of Arafat where Hajis are required to shorten their Zuhur and Asr prayers and offer them in one combined session after the meridian. The obligatory Maghreb prayer is not performed in Arafat and Hajis are required to move on to Muzdalifa and perform another set of shortened combined prayers for Maghreb and Isha there. This gives a glimpse of the state of affairs on the Day of Judgement which will not be the occasion to worship Allah but find out one’s result of the trials and tribulations in this mortal world and how one has fared being good to other beings, kind to animals and aware of one’s place in the universe.

The Night Stay in Muzdalifa
The sleeping over in the plain of Muzdalifa by Hajis the night after the large gathering in Arafat signifies how after death everyone will have an everlasting deep sleep six feet down under until the clarion for the resurrection has sounded. What happens in that sleep no one knows but as Hajis experience the night in Muzdalifa, those who have been tired glorifying Allah and praying for their forgiveness in the day sleep peacefully because they exhaust themselves in the remembrance of Allah. There is a sign in this ritual that if you spent your life serving and obeying Allah your death will be easy and your grave-sleep will be sweet and comfortable Insha’Allah. Those who do not sleep, spend the night praying and remembering Allah under the starry sky wondering how they will be raised when the clarion is called and hoping they will meet their Lord in a happy state.

Return to Mina
The return to Mina after Muzdalifa for two or three days signifies the wait the people of Al-Araaf will experience waiting in fear and hope for their names to be called out and learn whether they have been allocated a place in Jannah.

Stay in Mina
The stay of Hajis in Mina is a reminder to them that man’s next big gathering after life will be on a similar earth. Their walk towards Mount Arafat and gathering on 9 Dul Hajj in the plain of Arafat will be like the Day of Judgement where the sun will shine with all its might and there will be no shadow except the shadow of the Throne of Allah and everyone will be on his own, worried about his/her final destination.

Most of the time of Hajj is spent by Hajis is in Mina. They arrive in Mina on 8 Dul Hajja and after their journey to Arafat and Muzdalifa on 9 Dul Hajja, they return to Mina on 10th and stay there until 11 or 12 Dul Hajja. The days after the Udhiya are called Ayyamul Tashreeq. The one-day stay in Mina before proceeding to Arafat symbolises the wait man will experience between the day he/she dies until the Day of Resurrection; the 2 to 3-day stay in Mina during Ayyamul Tashreeq symbolises the period every human will go through from

Significance of Udhiya
The Udhiya is a symbolic commitment of the Haji to sacrifice everything for the sake of Allah and the Jamarat is to show the Haji’s deliverance from the influence of Shaitan who is man’s sworn enemy and ill-wisher. The symbolic stoning of the Shaitan using the 70 pebbles picked up the previous night from Mashar on returning from Arafat signifies the continuous war between good and evil and the effort of a Muslim to always seek the refuge of Allah against Shaitan.

Significance of Tawaf and Saee
Tawaf-e-Ifada is followed by Saee. In this worship there is a multitude of crowd but in this multitude everyone is alone. Everyone is responsible for himself. This Tawaf signifies Allah’s acceptance of Adam and Ibn Adam’s return to Paradise and granting him/her the permission to come to His throne of Majesty and Noor.

An Important Warning
After Hajj, a Haji should be extra careful about the attacks of Shaitan because he is free from all sins. Those who are not strong in their faith succumb to his attacks soon after Hajj. That’s why one finds some people still indulging in unlawful activities after returning from Hajj. Hajj is also a catalyst. It brings out the real person inside you.

A Humble Prayer
May Allah give all Muslims the opportunity to perform Hajj with its full meaning and significance and those who have already performed this great worship to have a second, third or more occasions to repeat this blessed experience and enrich their understanding of the universe and the purpose of creation, Adam’s birth and his fall from grace, the purpose Ibn Adam’s life on the earth and the final destiny of re-joining the great and glorious Allah in Paradise forever. Remember that when you make the intention to perform Hajj you should be firm in your mind that Allah will accept your Niyah and facilitate its fulfilment.

End Notes

فِيهِ آيَاتٌ بَيِّـنَاتٌ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ آمِنًا وَلِلّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ الله غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ
There are clear signs in the place whereon Abraham once stood; and whoever enters it finds inner peace. Hence, pilgrimage unto the House of Allah is an obligation from your Lord for those believers who are able to undertake it. And as for those who deny the truth – verily, Allah is free from any need in all the worlds. [Surah Al-Imran 3:97]

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
The first Temple ever set up for mankind was indeed the one at Makkah; rich in blessing and a source of guidance for all the worlds. [Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:96].

لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُواْ فَضْلاً مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَإِذَا أَفَضْتُم مِّنْ عَرَفَاتٍ فَاذْكُرُواْ اللّهَ عِندَ الْمَشْعَرِ الْحَرَامِ وَاذْكُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَاكُمْ وَإِن كُنتُم مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الضَّآلِّينَ
You will be committing no sin if you seek to obtain any bounty from your Sustainer. And when you surge downward in multitudes from Arafat, remember God at the holy place, and remember Him as the One who guided you after you had indeed been lost on your way. [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:198].

وَأَشْرَقَتِ الْأَرْضُ بِنُورِ رَبِّهَا وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ وَجِيءَ بِالنَّبِيِّينَ وَالشُّهَدَاء وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the record (of deeds) will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged. [Surah Al-Zumar 39:69].

وَمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُم بِالَّتِي تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِندَنَا زُلْفَى إِلَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَأُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ جَزَاء الضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَهُمْ فِي الْغُرُفَاتِ آمِنُونَ
For, it is neither your riches nor your children that can bring you nearer to Us: only he who attains to faith and does what is right and just (comes near Allah); and multiple recompense awaits for all that they have done; and it is they who shall dwell in the secure mansions in paradise. [Surah Saba 34:37].

لَكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ غُرَفٌ مِّن فَوْقِهَا غُرَفٌ مَّبْنِيَّةٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ الْمِيعَادَ
Those who fear their Lord shall [in the life to come] have lofty mansions built on top of each other beneath which running waters flow: this is Allah’s promise – and Allah never fails to fulfil His promise. [Surah Al-Zumar 39:20]

وَفُرُشٍ مَّرْفُوعَةٍ
And on couches or thrones, raised high [Surah Al-Waqia 56:34].

إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا
Verily, the hypocrites shall be in the lowest depth of the hellfire, and you will not fine anyone who could succour them. [Surah Al-Nisa 4:145].

وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَى رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًا
And neither do I think that the Last Hour will ever come. But even if it came were I brought before my Sustainer, I will surely find something even better than this as my resort. [Surah Kahaf 18:38]

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ
أَلا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَـكِن لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ
And when it is said to them, do not cause corruption on the earth, they say, We are but reformers. Indeed, it is they who are the corrupters, but they don’t see it. [Surah Baqarah 2:10-11].

وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا مِن بَعْدِ ضَرَّاء مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَذَا لِي وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّجِعْتُ إِلَى رَبِّي إِنَّ لِي عِندَهُ لَلْحُسْنَى فَلَنُنَبِّئَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ
And if We let him taste mercy from Us after an adversity which has touched him, he will surely say, “This is (due) to me, and I do not think the Hour will occur; and [even] if I should be returned to my Lord, indeed, for me there will be with Him the best.” But We will surely inform those who disbelieved about what they did, and We will surely make them taste a massive punishment. Surah Fussilat 41:50].

وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا حَتَّى إِذَا جَاؤُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ
But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, “Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein. Surah Al-Zumar 39:73.

And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups until, when they reach it, its gates are opened and its keepers will say, “Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?” They will say, “Yes, but the word of punishment has come into effect upon the disbelievers. [To them] it will be said, “Enter the gates of Hell to abide eternally therein, and wretched is the residence of the arrogant. [Surah Al-Zumar: 39:71-72].

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ
Do people think that if they say ‘we have embraced the faith’, they will be left to themselves, and will not be put to a test? [Surah Al-Ankaboot 29:2].

الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ مَّعْلُومَاتٌ فَمَن فَرَضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ فَلاَ رَفَثَ وَلاَ فُسُوقَ وَلاَ جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّ وَمَا تَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يَعْلَمْهُ اللّهُ وَتَزَوَّدُواْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُوْلِي الأَلْبَابِ
Hajj is (during) well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein (by entering the state of Ihram), there is (to be for him) no lewd speech, no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj. And whatever good you do – Allah knows it. And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah. And fear Me, O you of understanding. [Surah Al Baqarah 2:197].

وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَآئِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا
And every human being’s destiny have We tied to his neck; and on the Day of Resurrection We shall bring forth for him a record which he will find wide open. [Surah Al-Isra: 17:13].

الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَّحْمَةً وَعِلْمًا فَاغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ الْجَحِيمِ
Those (angels) who carry the Throne and those around it exalt Allah with praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who have believed, saying ‘Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire’. [Surah Al-Ghafir 40:7].

وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌ وَعَلَى الأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلاًّ بِسِيمَاهُمْ وَنَادَوْاْ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ
And there will be persons who (in life) were endowed with the ability to distinguish right from wrong, recognising each by its mark (but were indifferent). And they will call out unto the inmates of paradise, ‘Peace be upon you!’. They would not have entered it (Jannah) themselves, but would long (for it). [Surah Al A’raf 7:46].

يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ الأَرْضُ غَيْرَ الأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ وَبَرَزُواْ للّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ
On that Day the earth will be replaced by another earth, and the heavens (as well), and all creatures will come out before Allah, the One, the Prevailing. [Surah Ibrahim 14:48].

إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَآئِرِ اللّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ اللّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ
Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs Umrah, there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers to do good, then indeed Allah is appreciative and Knowing. [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:158].

وَكُلُّهُمْ آتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَرْدًا
And everyone will appear before Him alone on Resurrection Day [Surah Maryam 19:95].

أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى
No bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another person’s burden [Surah An-Najm 53:38].

فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا
And how man is inspired by wickedness and righteousness. [Surah As-Shams 91:8].

وَأَوْفُواْ بِعَهْدِ اللّهِ إِذَا عَاهَدتُّمْ وَلاَ تَنقُضُواْ الأَيْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ اللّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلاً إِنَّ اللّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ
And be true to your bond with Allah whenever you bind yourselves by a pledge, and do not break oaths after having [freely] confirmed them and having called upon Allah to be witness to your good faith: indeed, Allah knows all that you do. [Surah Al-Nahl 16:92].